The opening note of ‘The Circle of Life’ may just be one of the most recognisable in a Disney musical. If you don’t agree, then you may have to convince the entire theatre-going audience who were at Disney’s The Lion King on opening night. The full house’s roars could be heard all the way out of the Capitol Theatre’s front doors as the king of musicals triumphantly returns to Sydney – the first time in more than a decade.
What type of show is The Lion King?
It’s called The King of Musicals for a reason. If it’s not Elton John’s iconically recognisable music, or Tim Rice’s lyrics you’ve sung over a late-night karaoke session, then its Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi’s book featuring the characters you love, the characters you hate, and the ones you undoubtedly cry over – tears were definitely still shed during that scene.
What’s so beautiful about The Lion King is the blurring of worlds and culture that merges in between all of these. Julie Taymor’s directorial conception blends African culture, language, movement and costume underneath masks and puppetry of the animal characters.
Mufasa’s “crown” is a stoic, strong and towering headdress. The elegant lionesses soar and leap through the sky through Garth Fagan’s choreography as wing-like gowns flow behind them. The animals of Pride Rock are adorned with larger-than-life puppets of intricate designs and architecture: a re-engineered bicycle becomes leaping antelope, birds fly above the crowd on poles manipulated by performers,...
Keen for a fun weekend? You've come to the right place.
Right now at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney, you can step inside a magical greenhouse filled with 100,000 vibrant, plush, hand-crafted flowers by Australian artist Cj Hendry. Every guest gets their first flower free, with extras available for $5 each. Flower Market by Cj Hendry is at The Domain, from May 15-17, open from 10am to 8pm – and it’s free to enjoy. Find out more here.
The Archibald Prize 2026 has landed at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, with Richard Lewer taking home the top honour for his portrait of Pitjantjatjara Elder Iluwanti Ken. Head to the gallery to check out the winning portrait in person, plus all the finalists and winners from the 2026 Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes. The exhibition runs until August 16, with tickets from $30.
There are some awesome dining deals in Sydney this month, including $3 oysters at all Boathouse venues all day, every day. I also love the sound of Cantina OK!’s mezcal offer – they’re serving tasting flights with three $10 pours available all month long.
A new Banksy exhibition has landed in Sydney, featuring more than 250 provocative works by the world-famous elusive street artist – and it looks very cool.
There are some excellent shows on in Sydney right now, including The Lion King. Check out the best shows to see in Sydney this month here.
The 25th Biennale of Sydney (named among the best exhibitions in the world for 2026) is back. There’s a lot to see and experience – and the best part is that it’s here for two months, so you don’t need to tackle it all in one day. Free Friday night? Art After Dark is going down at White Bay Power Station – one of Syd's coolest venues – with gigs, art and food.
And if you want more boozy fun, you can work your way through Sydney's best bars here. Oh, and you can suss Sydney’s best restaurants and best affordable eats too.
Hope you have a cracking weekend.
Weather not looking so hot? Check out our list of the best things to do indoors in Sydney.
